Kim ends decade long wait for maiden win
American Sihwan Kim finally secured his first victory as a professional after over a decade long wait when he claimed the International Series Thailand at Black Mountain Golf Club today.
The in-form 33 year old, who has been in the final pairing on Sunday at three of the last six Asian Tour events, fired an inspired nine-under-par 63 to beat Thailand’s great hope of the future Phachara Khongwatmai by two strokes.
Phachara, the overnight leader chasing his second Tour victory, had no answer to Kim’s round and shot a 68.
South African Ian Snyman and Itthipat Buranatanyarat from Thailand finished two shots further back tied for third after rounds of 64 and 67 respectively.
Sihwan Kim, who turned professional in 2011, has recorded eight top-four results on the Asian Tour since 2018, including two runner-up finishes.
Today’s victory is the culmination of a fine run of form recently which has seen him finish joint fourth at the Blue Canyon Phuket Championship, fourth in the SMBC Singapore Open, and tied second in the Royal’s Cup last week.
HUA HIN-THAILAND- Phachara Khongwatmai of Thailand pictured on Sunday March 6, 2022 during the final round of the International Series Thailand at Black Mountain Golf Club, Prachaubkhirikhan, Thailand. The US$ 1.5 million Asian Tour event is staged between March 3 – 6, 2022. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
And he has also finished second four times on the Challenge Tour, since 2012.
“To get that monkey off your back is more of a relief, and happiness, I guess. I know I had it in me, but I guess I just stayed diligent throughout my career, and here I am,” said Kim, who earned a cheque for US$270,000 and moved to the top of the Asian Tour Order of Merit.
“It definitely helped [being in the penultimate group]. When you get off to hot start and when the leaders see your name going up the leader board it kind of puts pressure on the leaders. Obviously because you should make birdies and when it doesn’t come it kind of gets frustrating, so it definitely helped to be in the second from last group.
“It just felt like I was going to make everything today. I was swinging it really freely. I was just reading the lines really well, felt like I was going to make everything.”
Sihwan Kim started the day three shots adrift of Phachara but took charge of the tournament with the most remarkable run of holes seen on the Asian Tour.
He made seven birdies in row from the second – which was two short of Austrian Bernd Wiesberger’s record at the 2017 Maybank Championship.
By the halfway mark he had a one-shot lead over Phachara before another birdie on 10 saw him move two ahead. A three-putt bogey on 14 gave Phachara a glimmer of hope before the American restored his two-shot advantage by sensationally holing his third shot from the bunker on 15 for a birdie.
HUA HIN-THAILAND- Ian Snyman of South Africa pictured on Sunday March 6, 2022 during the final round of the International Series Thailand at Black Mountain Golf Club, Prachaubkhirikhan, Thailand. The US$ 1.5 million Asian Tour event is staged between March 3 – 6, 2022. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
That left him with a three-stroke lead but again Kim gave Phachara a chance by missing a 10 foot par putt on 16 after finding sand with his second. Phachara proceeded to birdie 16 to close the gap to one before Kim made birdie on 17 to restore a two-shot advantage that would remain until the end.
Phachara won his first title on the Asian Tour at the Laguna Phuket Championship in December and was the hot favourite to prevail today.
He said: “Today, I was aiming to shoot four or five under to win, but Sihwan played very well, he was eight under after only 10 holes, which really affected my game. I am still proud of my performance, and I’m satisfied. I kept fighting until the very end.”
Asian Tour rookie Snyman was one of the surprise performers on the last day coming through to register the best finish of his career.
“Today was a big mental breakthrough. Being able to put together four rounds like that is incredible,” said Snyman.
HUA HIN-THAILAND- Itthipat Buranatanyarat of Thailand pictured on Sunday March 6, 2022 during the final round of the International Series Thailand at Black Mountain Golf Club, Prachaubkhirikhan, Thailand. The US$ 1.5 million Asian Tour event is staged between March 3 – 6, 2022. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
“I loved it, love every moment. I had to remind myself the whole time to keep pushing. Don’t go into defence mode. Overall, I am very, very pleased. It’s a relief making that final putt on the last.”
The Asian Tour heads to The DGC Open next. The inaugural event is being played at Delhi Golf Club from March 24 to 27.
Phachara Khongwatmai emerged from a packed leaderboard to take the third-round lead in the US$1.5 million International Series Thailand at Black Mountain Golf Club today.
The Thai star fired a nine-under-par 63 to lead on 20 under by three from countrymen Poosit Supupramai and Itthipat Buranayarat, American Sihwan Kim, India’s Karandeep Kochhar and Doyeob Mun from Korea.
Poosit matched the course record with a 62 while Itthipat and Kim fired 65s. Kochhar returned a 66 with Mun signing for a 68.
Overnight leader Ryo Hisatsune from Japan carded a 71 and is 15 under.
Phachara Khongwatmai has only dropped one shot in three days and made nine birdies today, including six on the back nine, with three on the trot from the 16th.
“I have been playing well for a while, so I felt like a good round was coming,” said the 22 year old, who also shot 63 on day one.
“The course is possible to shoot low score, but you still have to play well.”
HUA HIN-THAILAND- Poosit Supupramai of Thailand pictured in action on Friday March 5, 2022 during day one of the International Series Thailand at Black Mountain Golf Club, Prachaubkhirikhan, Thailand. The US$ 1.5 million Asian Tour event is staged between March 3 – 6, 2022. Picture by Thananuwat Srirasant/Asian Tour.
The rising star finally won his first Asian Tour event at the end of last year at the Laguna Phuket Championship, after years of coming close, including six runner-up finishes.
Phachara Khongwatmai also won twice on the Asian Development Tour in 2015, while it was back in 2013 he triumphed in the Singha Hua Hin Open as a 14 year old amateur.
He added: “Yes, Hua Hin has special meaning for me, as I turned professional after winning in 2013.”
Poosit matched Sihwan Kim’s first round course record thanks to an eagle, nine birdies and just one bogey.
Said the Thai golfer: “I just made the cut yesterday, which was a good day for me. Today I said to my family that I would concentrate on an aggressive game, as usual, and I did it well. I had a great game today with a good combination of driving, iron shots and putting and also slam dunked an eagle. I got some luck, everything was perfect.”
Earlier in the day Thailand’s Ratchanon “TK” Chantananuwat, who celebrated his 15th birthday yesterday by finishing on the six under halfway cut, stormed through the field with a 63 to finish on 15 under.
“Fifteen yesterday and 15 under today. I think I will need at least 63 tomorrow to win,” said Ratchanon.
HUA HIN-THAILAND- Ratchanon Chantananuwat amateur golfer of Thailand pictured in action on Saturday March 5, 2022 during round three of the International Series Thailand at Black Mountain Golf Club, Prachaubkhirikhan, Thailand. The US$ 1.5 million Asian Tour event is staged between March 3 – 6, 2022. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
“Tomorrow I am going to try and strike the ball like I did today and give myself a lot of opportunities again. Every single putt I have, I will have to run through every scenario and every possible calculation I need to make before hitting the putt. If I want to win, I have to do that for every single putt. I did not manage to do that on eight of the holes today. This is the first time I’ve played two ball in my life. Feels a bit lonely.”
The youngster said it was his lowest 18-hole score.
He added: “My previous lowest was an eight under on the All Thailand Golf Tour.”
Japanese teenager Ryo Hisatsune upstaged many of the big-name players in this week’s International Series Thailand to take the halfway lead at Black Mountain Golf Club.
The 19 year old, who turned professional at the end of 2020, shot a six-under-par 66 for an impressive tournament total of 14 under.
He leads by one from Koreans Sungyeol Kwon and Doyeob Mun, who both carded 66s.
A shot further back is reigning Asian Tour number one Joohyung Kim (68) and Taehee Lee (64) from Korea, South African Jaco Ahlers (63), Thailand’s Chanat Sakulpolphaisan (66) and Tirawat Kaewsiribandit (65), and American Todd Baek (66).
“My course management today was very good. I am very happy,” said Hisatsune, who has his girlfriend Rirua on the bag.
“It was a so hot today, I am not used to this.”
Hisatsune fired seven birdies and dropped just one shot.
HUA HIN-THAILAND- Sungyeol Kwon of Korea pictured on Friday March 4, 2022, during round two of the International Series Thailand at Black Mountain Golf Club, Prachaubkhirikhan, Thailand. The US$ 1.5 million Asian Tour event is staged between March 3 – 6, 2022. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
A rising star of the Japan Golf Tour Organization he recorded six top-20 finishes during his rookie season in Japan last year and could well be a threat at the weekend.
Said Mun: “I am disappointed not to birdie the last. My chip should have been better so I could have made birdie and birdied the last three. Two more rounds to go though and so still a long way to go.”
Kim, also 19, is lurking ominously behind the leaders although feels his best is still yet to come in what is the first of 10 International Series events this season.
“To be honest I felt like I left a lot of shots out there today. It is still an under par round and it’s going to give me a chance,” said Kim.
“You can get a bunch of birdies out there, so you have to hit it close and give yourself a lot of opportunities. Everything needs to work well here. To be honest the last two days have not been the best that I have had but to still be here in contention is a good feeling.”
The Korean claimed Asian Tour Order of Merit title in January, helped by winning The Singapore International before finishing joint second in the season-ending SMBC Singapore Open.
Ahlers, a nine-time winner on South Africa’s Sunshine Tour who has been playing in Asia on and off for the past 10 years, fired an eagle, nine birdies and one bogey for the lowest round of the day.
HUA HIN-THAILAND- Joohyung Kim of Korea pictured in action on Friday March 4, 2022, during round two of the International Series Thailand at Black Mountain Golf Club, Prachaubkhirikhan, Thailand. The US$ 1.5 million Asian Tour event is staged between March 3 – 6, 2022. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
He said: “I played pretty much the same as yesterday but made a lot more putts. I had 31 yesterday and 23 today. It is eight different. That’s just the name of the game.
My form has been good recently, it’s been solid, not 63-type but plugging along, top 10 here, top 10 there. I just needed the putting to work, and it did today.”
India’s Karandeep Kochhar and Korean Bio Kim are a stroke further back after rounds of 68 and 69.
The halfway cut was made six under, which was one shot short of the record set at the New Zealand Open in 2018.
Thailand’s amateur star Ratchanon ‘TK’ Chantananuwat made the cut for the sixth successive time on the Asian Tour on the day he turned 15 years old.
He shot a 68 to make it through to the weekend on six under.
HUA HIN-THAILAND- Ratchanon Chantananuwat, amateur golfer of Thailand pictured on Friday March 4, 2022, during round two of the International Series Thailand at Black Mountain Golf Club, Prachaubkhirikhan, Thailand. The US$ 1.5 million Asian Tour event is staged between March 3 – 6, 2022. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
India ace Jeev Milkha Singh said there were numerous occasions during the pandemic when he feared for the future of professional golf in Asia. However, all that seems to have changed with the new International Series on the Asian Tour, the first of which is being played at the Black Mountain Golf Club in Hua Hin this week, writes Joy Chakravarty.
“I’d actually get shivers up my spine thinking about the plight of some of the young players. The situation was very serious in India and many other Asian countries during the lockdown periods. Golf courses were shut. While tournaments were just not possible, you could not even go out and practice,” said the 50-year-old, a two-time Asian Tour Order of Merit champion.
“I was hearing stories all over of how young professionals were turning away from golf just because there was no way of making a living from the sport. It was happening across the board. Caddies, greenkeepers and service staff were severely affected as they lost their jobs and income. I know players in their mid-30s with young families who told me about the hardships they were facing and how they were unable to pay for basic things such as their kids’ education. It was one of the worst situations I have seen in my entire lifetime.”
Singh was personally impacted himself and tragically lost both his parents to COVID-19 complications within the space of five tumultuous days last year.
The Asian Tour did not have a single tournament between March 2020 and November 2021. It resumed action after a gap of nearly 21 months. Earlier this year, at the season-opening US$5 million Saudi International, LIV Golf increased its investment in Asian Tour to US$300 million for 10 years and created the International Series – 10 tournaments with prize purse of US$1.5 to US$2 million, to be played in various parts of Asia and other continents.
PHUKET-THAILAND – Jeev Milkha Singh of India pictured on Wednesday, November 24, 2021 during the Pro-am event ahead of the Asian Tour’s Blue Canyon Phuket Championship 2021 at the Blue Canyon Country Club, (Canyon Course), with a prize fund of US$ 1 Million. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
“I have been part of Asian golf ever since I turned pro. I think the last time I saw this much excitement among the players was way back in 1995 when the Asian PGA Tour (which later evolved into the Asian Tour) was formed and we finally had a proper schedule that included several half-a-million dollar events at a time when $100,000 to $150,000 was the norm,” said Jeev Milkha Singh, who was expected to tee up in Hua Hin before pulling out for personal reasons.
“We have had big prize money events in Asia before, most of which were joint sanctioned. Apart from the Barclays Singapore Open [which Singh won in 2008], Asian Tour members have never played in fully sanctioned events like what we will have at the International Series.
“Earlier, even if you were 60th in the Order of Merit and kept your card, you’d have made around $50,000 at the most. I’d say many players in the top-60 were incurring a loss for the year with that kind of earning. But this season, the 60th placed player will make at least $100,000. That is a very decent amount playing golf in Asia. It will help players bank a few dollars as savings, which is always a good feeling.
“Obviously, winning takes care of everything. I’d always advise that the attitude must be that I need to win the tournament – whether it is a US$2 million International Series title, or an event with smaller purse. However, the importance of money cannot be denied, and nothing improves the confidence more than when you have some money in the bank.”
Singh, a board member of the Asian Tour, is getting ready for the seniors circuit, and has secured his cards in Europe, Japan and Korea. But one thing is certain – he is going to return to the Tour he loves the most whenever he can.
“It’s getting increasingly tough to battle it out with the young guns on the Tour. My body has taken a toll with the various injuries I have endured throughout my career. So, to be able to play three-round tournaments on shorter courses is a very welcome idea for me,” added Singh, winner of six titles on the Asian Tour.
“But don’t count me out of the Asian Tour yet. I am going to return and play whenever I can. I love playing all over the world, but I have always maintained that there is nothing more enjoyable and special than playing on the Asian Tour. There is a camaraderie between the players and the staff that just can’t be found anywhere else.
“I will have a few competitive rounds under my belt by the time I get back on the Asian Tour, and hopefully, that will help me compete against these youngsters.
“And even when I am not playing on the Tour, I will keep an eye on what is happening here. The kind of talent we get in Asia is mind-boggling. It’s pure, feel-oriented talent. It’s like a Jordan Spieth or Matthew Wolff. They have a lot of X factor in them. I will definitely be following their rise as they fly the Asian flag around the world.”
American Sihwan Kim broke the course record at Black Mountain Golf Club today shooting a 10-under-par 62 to take the lead on day one of the US$1.5 million International Series Thailand.
Thailand’s Phachara Khongwatmai also dismantled the course’s defenses with a 63 while his countryman Itthipat Buranatanyarat, newly crowned Asian Tour number one Joohyung Kim and Bio Kim from Korea, Ryou Hisatsune from Japan and Janne Kaske from Finland shot 64s.
Sihwan has been in brilliant form since the Asian Tour restarted at the end of last year and been in the final pairing on Sunday in three events including last week’s Royal’s Cup although victory has so far eluded him.
“Whatever is done is done. I just plan to play my best this week,” said the 33 year old, who was joint fourth in the Blue Canyon Phuket Championship, fourth in the SMBC Singapore Open and tied for second last week.
The American began today’s round on the 10th and there wasn’t much indication he was about to shoot one of the finest rounds of his career.
He said: “It was an interesting round. I didn’t get anything going on the front. After I kind of imploded on 17, when I missed a foot putt by putting it one handed, I just caught fire for some reason, and I kind of got it going.”
HUA HIN-THAILAND- Phachara Khongwatmai of Thailand pictured in action on Thursday March 3, 2022, during day one of The International Series Thailand at Black Mountain Golf Club, Prachaubkhirikhan, Thailand. The USD$ 1.5 million Asian Tour event is staged between March 3 – 6, 2022. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
He eagled the par-five sixth and 18th, both times reaching the green with a three wood. He holed from 10 feet on six and 15 feet on the last.
“Golf course is really good. Conditions are great. Greens are picking up speed and the fairways are playing firm,” he added.
His front nine of eight-under-par 28 matched the lowest score over nine holes on the Asian Tour. He made eight birdies and two bogeys.
Phachara, who secured his first win on the Asian Tour at the Laguna Phuket Championship at the end of last year, has history in Hua Hin as it was here that he hit global headline in 2013 at the Singha Hua Hin Open at Royal Hua Hin Golf Course, remarkably as a 14-year-old amateur. He turned professional immediately after that.
“I have good memories with my victory in Hua Hin,” said the 23 year old.
“It was such a great moment for me when all of my game was good, both timing and putting. I think golf depending on the right rhythm and timing. When the time is right, you win.
“I am so happy that big events resumed in Thailand. It offers a chance for local players including myself. I hope we have more great tournaments like this in the future.”
Joohyung Kim shot up the leaderboard at the end finishing birdie eagle birdie as did Bio Kim who made birdie on the last six holes.
HUA HIN-THAILAND- Bio Kim of Korea, right, tees off as Jazz Janewattananond of Thailand looks on, pictured Thursday March 3, 2022, during day one of the International Series Thailand at Black Mountain Golf Club, Prachaubkhirikhan, Thailand. The US$ 1.5 million Asian Tour event is staged between March 3 – 6, 2022. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Said Joohyung Kim: “It’s nice to shoot a low round because the scores are so low here. I really stuck to my gameplan today, I was really focused, and I told myself you can’t win it on the first day, you might shoot 59 today but you still have three more days. “
“It was a really hot day but fortunately I made some really good numbers on those last six holes with six birdies. I haven’t had that for a while, so it was a bonus to me. Hopefully I can do more of that over the next couple of days,” said Bio Kim.
A one-minute silence was observed for former Asian Tour number one and Chairman Kyi Hla Han who passed away recently. The moment of reflection took place at 2.13pm, as his birthday was February 13.
In honour of the legendary Myanmar golfer players are wearing green ribbons – which was one of the colours in his official logo.
HUA HIN-THAILAND- Asian Tour Tournament Director – Jittisak Tamprasert pictured in the minute of silence for Asian Tour legend Kyi Hla Han on Thursday March 3, 2022 during day one of the International Series Thailand at Black Mountain Golf Club, Prachaubkhirikhan, Thailand. The US$ 1.5 million Asian Tour event is staged between March 3 – 6, 2022. Picture by Thananuwat Srirasant/ Asian Tour.
The Covid-19 pandemic has been indiscriminate. It’s taken a heavy toll on men and women from all walks of life. Golf professionals have not been exempt. On the surface, Jazz Janewattananond would appear to have been among the more fortunate. Since early 2020, the former Asian Tour Order of Merit champion acknowledges he’s been lucky to have been able to continue plying his trade.
But living out of a suitcase and unable to return to home and spend time with loved ones has proved an immense – and often unpleasant – mental challenge, writes Contributing Editor Spencer Robinson.
Even for an even-keeled, feet-on-the-ground individual like the 26-year-old Thai, the effects have severely disturbed his equilibrium, resulting in prolonged periods of mental stress and depression that reduced him to the depths of despair.
Inevitably, his golf game has suffered.
Following top-four finishes in the Hong Kong Open and SMBC Singapore Open at the beginning of 2020, Jazz rose to a career-best 38th in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR).
Then Covid-19 struck. It’s no coincidence that his form has dipped alarmingly. Of the 46 events in which he’s participated over the past 24 months, Jazz has had just six top-10s and missed 19 cuts.
Ahead of the inaugural International Series Thailand at Black Mountain Golf Club, his home club, Jazz has, for the first time, talked publicly about the mental health issues that have afflicted him – and led to the downturn in his playing fortunes.
HUA HIN-THAILAND- Jazz Janewattananond of Thailand walks to the 2nd green on Wednesday March 2, 2022, during a Pro-am event ahead of the International Series Thailand at Black Mountain Golf Club, Prachaubkhirikhan, Thailand. The USD$ 1.5 million Asian Tour event is staged between March 3 – 6, 2022. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
“For me, I need to be happy to play good golf. I’m working on that now. I need to be happy with myself and happy with who I am,” said Jazz, following a closing 65 at the Royal’s Cup on Sunday that lifted him into a share of sixth place, indicating an improvement in his psychological state as much as his game.
By his own admission, there has not been a great deal of happiness or joy in his life these past two years.
“I haven’t been suicidal or anything like that. But you just wake up some days and don’t feel like doing anything – and that’s not like me. I’m usually the hyper type and optimistic. But the last two years when I’ve woken up, I’ve just wanted to lay in bed all day.
“A lot of people have lost their jobs, their loved ones, their life savings. I can’t compare myself to those people but, for sure, I’ve been badly affected.
“Some rounds in the last two years, I just felt that I didn’t want to be there. Because I’ve been travelling, I haven’t felt like I belonged. Living out of a suitcase, you don’t have a home to go to. That’s been the biggest threat to my mental health.
“I’ve been very lucky to be able to play golf these past two years and am grateful for that. But you go through depression because you can’t get home. And if you’re not happy with your life, then you can’t be happy with your golf.”
Thanks to the easing in travel and quarantine restrictions, Jazz was able to return to Thailand in late 2021 and reacquaint himself with family, friends and his dog.
“At the end of last year, I felt like my physical ability was not that tired, but mentally I was gone. I couldn’t think. I was on the road for a year and a half, with no news of Thailand opening up. Once they said Thailand was going to do the Test and Go scheme, it clicked that I wanted to go home and I was feeling homesick. So once I arrived in Thailand, my mind wasn’t on golf. It was good to kind of get away from it.
HUA HIN-THAILAND- Jazz Janewattananond of Thailand pictured on Wednesday March 2, 2022, during a Pro-am event ahead of the International Series Thailand at Black Mountain Golf Club, Prachaubkhirikhan, Thailand. The USD$ 1.5 million Asian Tour event is staged between March 3 – 6, 2022. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
“I’m still in the process of getting back to normal – but I’m not there yet. In the last three months I’ve been home twice. But my mind won’t rest easy because I still have a lot of tournaments to play in Europe and overseas,” said Jazz, who is due to head to South Africa next week for back-to-back tournaments followed by the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters.
For now, though, Jazz is simply savouring being back on home soil and hopeful of thrilling his Thai fans on his home course in Hua Hin this week.
“Parts of my game are coming together. I just need to put it all together. I’m going to try and win because Black Mountain is my home club,” he said. If Jazz is simply able to get through the week free of mental stress, then that in itself will be a notable victory worth celebrating.
By Olle Nordberg – Contributing Editor
After a solid tied-12th finish at last week’s Royal’s Cup in Kanchanaburi, Sweden’s Bjorn Hellgren is confident ahead of this week’s US$1.5 million International Series Thailand.
“I think I have a good chance of winning this week. It’s one of the courses that I can win on, a type of golf course that I can win on,” said Hellgren.
The Black Mountain Golf Club based 31-year-old has every reason to be confident this week. Having won the Black Mountain Invitational on the Swedish Golf Tour back-to-back in 2014-2015, he is also coming off his best Asian Tour performance to date.
“I like the course and it suits my eye. I think it’s a course that’s favorable for the longer guys, some of the par fives you kind of need to fly the ball maybe 300 yards in the air to hit those speed slots, so I like it,” he added.
Being able to stay at his Asian Tour home base this week will also add to him feeling comfortable, and the game is shaping up nicely after working on his swing the last few weeks.
“It’s going to be great, I’m so much looking forward to it. We said going into last week that we had a couple of things we needed to work on. So, we said ok, let’s not just work on them on the driving range. Let’s work on them on the course and try to get ready for this week. I think we did a good job with that, so I’m really excited about being here.”
Hellgren joined the Asian Tour in 2020 after successfully navigating the pressure packed Q-School by finishing tied-ninth, but his Asian Tour debut season that year would be cut short after only one event due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I was very fortunate to go back to Europe and play on the Challenge Tour that year. I finished 23rd on the Order of Merit so I was close. Playing good golf. I came back in 2021 and again played well on the Challenge Tour but missed a full card for the DP World Tour. My main focus now is on the Asian Tour and the schedule looks good. It’s a great opportunity.”
The Swede played his college golf at Florida State University and was part of an impressive team that included four-time Major winner and former world number one Brooks Koepka and four-time PGA Tour winner Daniel Berger among others.
“They’re a bunch of PGA Tour players right now. We had Brooks Koepka, Daniel Berger, Hank Lebioda and Chase Seiffert. They were all on my team. We were like six-seven guys on the team, so we were a good group of guys. We were all playing golf trying to make it. I still talk to a couple of them.”
Maybe it was Koepka’s immediate success in the pro ranks that inspired Hellgren to cut his college career short after three years and turn pro:
He said; “We saw Brooks go over to Europe playing the Challenge Tour and won one event. He went back the next year and won three events in the spring to get his DP World Tour card. That same summer both me and Daniel Berger dropped out and turned pro, because we thought we could do the same thing.
“I saw how he (Brooks) came out and just played so aggressive, like how we grew up playing, how we were taught to play. So, I figured if he could do it, I can do it.
“I talked a bit to Brooks when I was in Saudi, he got in touch with me while I was there. I texted him and said that I’m finally playing with the big boys now, and then you’re not playing. So, we talked a little bit. I took some pictures of Bryson for him, and he laughed about those.”
While things haven’t happened as quickly for Hellgren as for some of his former teammates, he has collected six professional wins on the Swedish Golf Tour since turning pro in 2013, as well as topping that Tour’s Order of Merit in 2015.
Having home field advantage at a course he has won twice on before could just be the edge he needs as he attempts to win his first Asian Tour title.
He adds: “To tell you the truth, the last two or three months I’ve been kind of technically not great. I’ve been playing shots that I don’t like and just trying to play golf with what I have at the moment. I wanted to get back to how I was hitting the ball in 2020, and that’s what we’ve been working hard on these last two weeks. So, from going playing a fade in Saudi to just playing draw shots last week. It’s been quite the change. Well, we’ll get there.”
Korean star Joohyung Kim says he is not burdened by the weight of being the Asian Tour’s newly crowned number one player as he bids to build on the momentum of his brilliant 2020-21 season.
“It’s no pressure for me,” said the 19 year old, who claimed the Asian Tour Order of Merit title in January by winning the penultimate event, The Singapore International, and finishing joint second in the season finale, the SMBC Singapore Open.
“If I was still trying to win it then maybe there would be some pressure, but I have won it and I am just trying to play better every day and get better every day.”
The powerfully-build golfer recorded a top-20 finish in last week’s Royal’s Cup and competes in this week’s US$1.5 million International Series Thailand, at Black Mountain Golf Club.
“It was a good warm up last week, it was just disappointing I just could not get anything done on the greens. Long game is feeling really good, hopefully I can make some more putts this week,” added Kim.
“I need to maintain how I feel right now and have a few more breaks go my way. It’s a big event this week, I think all the players know that and I just want to be extra ready.”
He has only played at Black Mountain once before this week.
HUA HIN-THAILAND- Joohyung Kim of Korea pictured on Tuesday March 1, 2022, during an official practice round ahead of the International Series Thailand at Black Mountain Golf Club, Prachaubkhirikhan, Thailand. The USD$ 1.5 million Asian Tour event is staged between March 3 – 6, 2022. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Said Kim: “I am not familiar with the course. The course looks pretty fair, nothing too tricky. I think I will be ready by Thursday.”
The Korean is also riding high after hearing last week that his Merit list success has earned him a place in this year’s US Open.
“I woke up to that news. It was awesome and it got me thinking about where am I going to play, and I looked up the courses,” said Kim.
“It’s going to be a great test, and an awesome week. Hopefully I can be a good role model and a good image for the Asian Tour.”
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